| Abstract [eng] |
Introduction. Insufficient physical activity (PA) is considered as a significant risk factor in global mortality. Modern sedentary lifestyle, contribute to a decline in PA worldwide, including in Lithuania, where the majority of population fails to meet recommended activity levels. Given that students are classified as vulnerable to these trends it's crucial to explore how PA can improve their emotional state and well-being. After evaluating the opinion of many authors about PA as one of the main factors affecting human health, it is very important to find out how PA improves sleep quality and emotional state of students. Methods and material. The study was conducted between October 2023 - March 2024. The research method used was quantitative, with anonymous online survey. Students of Lithuanian universities and colleges participated in the study. Short version of the IPAQ; the GAD-7 scale and the PSQI questionnaire were used to conduct the survey. Statistical data analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0 and Microsoft Excel 2010 programs. Results. 52.4 percent of students PA level was high and had increased with age. In the group of female students, low PA was found almost three times more often (9.6 percent) compared to male students (3.8 percent). Students of undergraduate study programs showed the highest level of moderate and high PA (93 percent). The appearance of anxiety disorders is influenced by the course of study (r=0.192; p<0.001), form of study (36 percent; GAD-7 9.34±5.66 of single studies; 18.8 percent; GAD-7 6.70± 5.07 undergraduates; 18.2 percent; GAD-7 6.45±5.45 master's studies) and gender (23.2 percent; GAD-7 7.55±5.38 women and 11.2 percent; GAD-7 4.78±4.04 in men). Sleep disorders were found in 58.6 percent among all subjects and those who study more often in the higher course (r=0.106; p=0.033). One in five students (17.9 percent) takes sleep medication. Only 13.2 percent students rated their subjective sleep quality as very good. The analysis of the research data showed that the duration of sleep increases with increasing PA. Students with higher PA level have ten times less sleep disorders (high PA – 54.5 percent, low PA – 67.6 percent have sleep disorders). As PA increases, anxiety symptoms decrease. Students with a low level of PA had anxiety almost twice as often (38.2 percent). Conclusions. Students with higher levels of PA experienced better sleep quality and improved emotional state. Students with low levels of PA were more likely to experience anxiety and sleep problems. Keywords: students, physical activity, sleep quality, emotional state, health, lifestyle, assessment. |
